Commit Skill

Creates well-formatted commits following conventional commit standards with emoji prefixes.

When to Use

• User says “commit”, “commit these changes”, or uses /commit
• After code changes are ready to be committed
• Need help with commit message formatting
• Want automatic detection of multi-concern changes

Core Features

• GPG signing with cached passphrase (if $GPG_PASSPHRASE set)
• Staged vs unstaged detection – commits only staged files when present
• Split suggestions – analyzes diffs for multiple logical changes
• Conventional commits – <emoji> <type>: <description> format
• Pre-commit hook integration – respects Husky/other hooks
• Always –signoff – DCO compliance

Process

1. Environment Check

# Check GPG passphrase availability
if [ -n "$GPG_PASSPHRASE" ]; then
  # Cache passphrase
  gpg --batch --pinentry-mode loopback \
      --passphrase-file <(echo "$GPG_PASSPHRASE") \
      --clearsign >/dev/null 2>&1 <<< "test"
  USE_GPG="yes"
else
  USE_GPG="no"
fi

2. Analyze Changes

git status --short

# Prefer staged files if any exist
if ! git diff --staged --quiet; then
  git diff --staged --stat    # Staged changes
else
  git diff HEAD --stat        # All changes
fi

3. Multi-Concern Detection

Suggest split if:

• Different patterns: src/ + test/ + docs/
• Mixed types: feat + fix + docs
• Unrelated concerns: auth logic + UI styling
• Large changeset: >500 lines

Ask user:

Multiple concerns detected:
1. Auth changes (src/auth/*)
2. UI updates (src/components/*)
3. Docs (README.md)

Split into 3 commits?
- ✨ feat: add JWT authentication
- 💄 style: update login UI
- 📝 docs: update auth documentation

[split/all]

4. Create Commit

Format: <emoji> <type>: <description>

Rules:

• Imperative mood (“add” not “added”)
• First line <72 chars
• Atomic (single purpose)
• Use body for “why” if needed

git commit --signoff ${USE_GPG:+--gpg-sign} -m "<emoji> <type>: <description>"

5. Handle –no-verify

If user requests --no-verify:

⚠️  Requested to skip pre-commit hooks.

Bypasses: linting, tests, formatting
Reason: [ask user]

Approve? [yes/no]

Only proceed if confirmed.

Commit Types & Emoji

Extended emoji map: 🚚 move | ➕ add-dep | ➖ remove-dep | 🌱 seed | 🧑‍💻 dx | 🏷️ types | 👔 business | 🚸 ux | 🩹 minor-fix | 🥅 errors | 🔥 remove | 🎨 structure | 🚑️ hotfix | 🎉 init | 🔖 release | 💚 ci-fix | 📌 pin-deps | 👷 ci-build | 📈 analytics | ✏️ typos | 📄 license | 💥 breaking | 🍱 assets | ♿️ a11y | 💡 comments | 🗃️ db | 🔊 logs | 🔇 remove-logs | 🙈 gitignore | 📸 snapshots | ⚗️ experiment | 🚩 flags | 💫 animations | ⚰️ dead-code | 🦺 validation | ✈️ offline

Split Decision Examples

❌ Bad – Mixed concerns

+ src/auth/login.ts (feat)
+ src/components/Button.css (style)
+ README.md (docs)

Split into: 3 separate commits

✅ Good – Single concern

+ src/auth/login.ts
+ src/auth/middleware.ts
+ tests/auth.test.ts

One commit: ✨ feat: add authentication

❌ Bad – Mixed types

+ Add export feature (feat)
+ Fix date bug (fix)

Split into: 2 commits by type

❌ Bad – Large multi-feature

300+ lines: auth system
200+ lines: UI components
150+ lines: database

Split into: 3 commits by feature

Critical Rules

NEVER

• ❌ Add Claude signature to commits
• ❌ Commit without checking staged status
• ❌ Skip split suggestions for multi-concern
• ❌ Use past tense (“added” → “add”)
• ❌ Make first line >72 chars
• ❌ Bypass hooks without asking

ALWAYS

• ✅ Use –signoff flag
• ✅ Check GPG passphrase first
• ✅ Analyze diff before commit
• ✅ Suggest splits when appropriate
• ✅ Use imperative mood
• ✅ Pick correct emoji + type
• ✅ Ask approval for –no-verify

Integration Notes

With CLAUDE.md

CLAUDE.md references this skill: “Use /commit or say ‘commit changes'”

With spec-kit

Reference planning docs in commit body:

✨ feat: add user authentication

- JWT token validation
- Protected routes middleware
- Tests cover happy/error paths

Related to Stage 2 of PLAN.md (User Story 1.2)

With Husky

Hooks run automatically unless –no-verify used (requires approval).

Example Sessions

Simple commit

User: "commit these changes"

Process:
1. Check GPG ✓
2. Analyze: src/auth/login.ts (modified)
3. Single concern ✓
4. Create: ✨ feat: add login endpoint
5. Execute: git commit --signoff --gpg-sign -m "..."

Split required

User: "commit"

Process:
1. Detect: auth + UI + docs
2. Suggest split (3 commits)
3. User confirms "split"
4. Commit each separately with proper emoji/type

Skip hooks

User: "/commit --no-verify"

Response:
"⚠️ Skip hooks? Bypasses linting/tests.
Reason: [wait]"

User: "hotfix for production"

Action: Proceed with --no-verify

Troubleshooting

GPG fails

echo $GPG_PASSPHRASE  # Check set
gpg --clearsign <<< "test"  # Test manually
# If fails: commit without --gpg-sign

Hook fails

Check output → fix issue → retry Critical case only: ask about –no-verify

No changes

git status
# No changes: inform user
# Unstaged only: "Stage files first?"

Progressive Disclosure

Keep this main file under 500 lines. For extensive reference:

• Emoji cheatsheet → See emoji-reference.md (if needed)
• Advanced patterns → See advanced-commits.md (if needed)

Current approach: All essential info in this file for immediate use.